Rosatom: the development of fast reactor technologies will consolidate the leadership of the Russian Federation in the nuclear power industry

Special Representative of ROSATOM for International, Science, and Technology Projects Vyacheslav Pershukov noted that Russia is the world leader in the development of fast reactors.

“The development of fast-neutron reactors that allow closing the nuclear fuel cycle will allow Russia to maintain world leadership in nuclear energy,” said Rosatom’s special representative for international, science, and technology projects, head of the Proryv project, Vyacheslav Pershukov.

“Russia is the world leader in the development of nuclear technologies. Our country has accumulated vast experience in this field. This development will allow us to maintain world leadership in nuclear power,” he said at the Rosatom conference “Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle on the Basis of Fast Neutron Reactors”, which was held in October 2018 in Tomsk.

He also noted that Russia is the world leader in the development of a two-component atomic energy system (conventional thermal reactors combined in fuel cycle with fast reactors). Such a system allows closing the fuel cycle due to reuse of irradiated nuclear fuel, which increases energy efficiency and the economic attractiveness of nuclear power.

“We at Rosatom have approved this two-component to be our strategic goal,” he said.

Pershukov said that for the development of the Proryv, it is necessary to rely on the experience of cooperation within the International Research Center (IRC), created by Russia on the basis of the Multipurpose Fast Research Reactor (MBIR), as well as the experience of global cooperation in the construction of the ITER fusion reactor.

“I believe that it is necessary to spread the experience of the ICC MBIR and ITER for the international expansion of the Proryv project direction,” he said.